(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a hay strapping tool. More particularly, the present invention relates to “a hay strap hook for positioning and holding a strap in place over rows of hay stacks or bales on a trailer for tightening the strap in place on the trailer”.
(2) Background of Invention
Forage crops are a major source of feed for dairy animals like cows, sheep, etc. Forage crops generate large amount of hay as feed. Hay is typically arranged as a hay stack or rolled into hay bales for easy handling and transport to different locations. Common hay configurations include single stack, double stack, round bale, and square bale. Once the hay stack or bales are loaded onto a trailer, the multiple hay stacks or bales are held together by tying them to keep them from shifting, sliding, or toppling during carriage. The hay stacks or bales are commonly tied together with a strap or a belt. Generally, the strap is a two inch wide strap that is formed of a flexible material that has high tensile strength. For a stronger hold over the multiple hay stacks or bales, the strap should ideally pass over the middle line of the top surface of the top hay stack or bale. For this process of positioning the strap over hay stacks or bales over trailers, straps have to be thrown approximately 14 feet in the air and then over the rows of the hay stacks or bales from one side of the trailer. The strap thrown this way tends to fall towards the side regions of the top surface of the top hay stack or bale, and may even fall over the side, causing the operator to throw the strap again, thus making the strapping process for securing hay stacks or bales on a trailer difficult and time consuming. This is particularly difficult in the windy conditions. Furthermore, many times, a person may have to climb up the rows of hay stacks or bales on the trailer to position the strap, which may become dangerous. Some loading mechanisms have been developed to load a trailer with hay stacks or bales while securing the hay stacks or bales in place with straps. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,700 B2, issued to Willi Hermann Hesse on 2006, May 16, discloses a strapping system comprised of a pair of elongate rollers, a frame for supporting the rollers on trailer, strapping members secured to roller, and anchor and tightening mechanisms for securing and tightening the straps over the hay bales placed on the trailer or truck. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,866,925 B1, issued to Stinger, Inc. on 2011, Jan. 11, discloses an assembly for securing cargo on a load bed assembly that allows efficient strapping of the hay bales that are placed on a trailer. However, these machines are costly, their handling is difficult, and they do not efficiently solve the issue of positioning the strap over the hay strap to tighten the strap on the other side of the trailer. Hence, there is a need for methods and tools to efficiently perform the strapping process on trailers. Furthermore, it is desired that the tool is easy to handle and use, and is cheap.
It is an objective of the invention to overcome or alleviate a problem of the prior art.
This permits the use of the present invention, which enhances the prior art of hay strapping tools for efficiently strapping rows of hay stacks or bales on a trailer.